Baked chicken is such an excellent option for a healthy meal. It’s loaded with protein and is low in fat and carbs. A baked whole chicken is the perfect healthy dinner recipe with leftovers that can be used in so many other dishes.
I make this dish every week because it’s quick, easy, healthy and so versatile. It goes with almost any of your favorite side dishes. Tired of the taste? Simply change up the herbs and spices and it never gets bland.
Our oven-baked whole chicken has a delicious but straight forward flavor with olive oil, rosemary and garlic. It’s baked in chicken stock infused with garlic for even more flavor. The secret to making it super juicy is to keep it covered for the 45 minutes of cooking.
Perfect for a Low-Carb Keto Diet
Baked chicken is a perfect choice for almost any weight loss diet. Whether you’re going low carb, keto or paleo it will become one of those recipes you make time and time again. Use leftovers to make salads, snacks, low carb wraps and a wide variety of other dishes. This go-to keto chicken recipe is a great choice for meal preppers too!
Keto Baked Chicken Ingredients
Like I mentioned earlier, this recipe is simple and versatile. You’ll need a whole chicken, olive oil, rosemary, a chicken broth cube and salt. Optionally serve with Greek yogurt and fresh limes. Feel free to mix up the herbs and spices to your own taste!
How to Bake a Whole Chicken
The first step I always like to take when making a baked whole chicken is the check it is thoroughly cleaned. Simply put on some plastic gloves and clean the chicken under running water to make sure the outer and inner cavity is properly cleaned.
Next, you’ll want to preheat your oven to 390 degrees Fahrenheit / 200 degrees Celcius. Grab a baking dish and place your cleaned whole chicken inside.
In a small bowl mix together the rosemary, salt and olive oil. Massage the mixture over the entire chicken making sure it’s evenly covered.
In another small bowl prepare your chicken stock cube with water. Cut your garlic bulb in half and place it into the baking dish. Pour the chicken stock mixture into the baking dish and we’re ready to bake!
The secret for a succulent, moist and juicy chicken is to keep it covered for the first part of the baking process. Cover the baking dish with foil and place it into your preheated oven for 45 minutes.
After the 45 minutes are up, remove the foil from the baking dish. You’ll notice a sauce has formed into the bottom of the baking dish and we’re going to use it to keep the chicken moist while it continues to bake. By removing the foil we’ll also let the outer skin get nice and crispy.
As the chicken continues to cook, use a spoon or ladle to pour the sauce over the whole chicken every 10 minutes until it’s ready.
How Long to Bake a Whole Chicken?
Depending on the size of your chicken it should take around 1 1/2 hours total for a 2.2-pound chicken. Use a meat thermometer and check the internal temperature is 165 degrees to know when your chicken is properly cooked.
Finally, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Our recipe is served with fresh lime wedges and plain Greek yogurt.
Keto Baked Chicken Serving Suggestions
Like we’ve mentioned, this baked whole chicken goes so well with almost any low carb side dish. We love it with the following:
- Maple Bacon Wrapped Carrots
- Keto Roasted Garlic Cauliflower
- Oven Roasted Green Beans with Cheese
- 4-Ingredient Baked Zucchini Fries
Baked Chicken Keto Recipes We Love
After some more baked chicken keto recipes? We have a wide variety of chicken recipes with different flavors that I’m sure you’ll love. Try these:
- Herb Roasted Chicken with Slow Roasted Tomatoes and Garlic
- One-Pan Easy Balsamic Chicken Recipe
- Keto Caprese Chicken Healthy Dinner Recipe
Keto Baked Chicken with Yogurt and Lime
Ingredients
- 2.2 lb Whole Chicken
- 1 tsp Dried Rosemary
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 cube Chicken Broth
- 1 bulb Garlic
- 2 Fresh Limes
- 5 oz Greek Yogurt unsweetened
Instructions
- Firstly, make sure that the chicken is clean inside. Some chicken will come pre-cleaned but make sure to check. If needed wear some plastic gloves and clean the chicken with running water. It will take just two minutes.
- Start by preheating your oven to 200°C / 390°F.
- Place the whole chicken into a baking dish. Mix together the olive oil, salt and rosemary then massage the mixture over the entire chicken. Cut the garlic bulb in half and place it into the baking dish next to the chicken.
- In a small bowl mix together the chicken broth cube with some water and then pour it into the baking dish.
- Now the chicken is ready to bake. To keep it moist inside cover the baking dish with foil and then place it into the oven for 45 minutes. We'll remove the foil afterward to allow the skin to become nice and crispy.
- After 45 minutes, remove the foil from the baking dish. A sauce will have formed in the bottom of the baking dish and we'll be using this to pour over the chicken every 10 minutes until it's ready. Simply use a spoon or ladle to pour the sauce over the chicken every 10 minutes.
- Depending on the size of the chicken you will need to continue baking for around another 45 minutes. A 2.2-pound chicken should take around 1 1/2 hours. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature is 165°F / 75°C to make sure the chicken is properly cooked.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with lime wedges and your favorite Greek yogurt. This baked chicken recipe goes great with so many low carb keto side dishes.
